Amritsar

Warm hospitable people, joy, laughter, love and unmatched exuberance emanates from this historical city, literally meaning the ‘Holy pool of nectar’. The exciting culture of the city reflected in the song and dance and traditional folk forms narrate the significance of the city for not only the Sikh community, but also all Indians. The magnificent Golden Temple that symbolises the Sikh religion is one of the most sacred and revered places in the country. The architecture, the surroundings, the Gurudwara, lend a mystical feel to the temple. Guru-Ka-Langar is a splendid example of service to humanity, where everyone is welcome. One can even offer their services by way of cleaning, cleaning dishes or cooking. Jallianwala Bagh is a painful reminder of the cruel massacre that claimed many innocent lives. The Wagah Border, with its impressive flag ceremony on the other hand, signifies the solidarity and enmity between India and Pakistan. The Amritsar Heritage Walk takes on through the great history of the city. Take in the old-world charm and revel in the grandeur of this famous town in the state of Punjab.

Warm hospitable people, joy, laughter, love and unmatched exuberance emanates from this historical city, literally meaning the ‘Holy pool of nectar’. The exciting culture of the city reflected in the song and dance and traditional folk forms narrate the significance of the city for not only the Sikh community, but also all Indians. The magnificent Golden Temple that symbolises the Sikh religion is one of the most sacred and revered places in the country. The architecture, the surroundings, the Gurudwara, lend a mystical feel to the temple. Guru-Ka-Langar is a splendid example of service to humanity, where everyone is welcome. One can even offer their services by way of cleaning, cleaning dishes or cooking. Jallianwala Bagh is a painful reminder of the cruel massacre that claimed many innocent lives. The Wagah Border, with its impressive flag ceremony on the other hand, signifies the solidarity and enmity between India and Pakistan. The Amritsar Heritage Walk takes on through the great history of the city. Take in the old-world charm and revel in the grandeur of this famous town in the state of Punjab.

Golden Temple

Explore the complex of Sri Hari Mandir Sahib (Divine Temple) also known as Golden Temple that symbolises the Sikh religion. The Gurudwara in the temple holds the holy scripture of Sikhism, the Adi Granth. Admire the golden inverted lotus-shaped dome and marvel at the lovely golden structure at the centre of a large body of water—the Darbar Sahib or Court of the Lord. With Hindu and Islamic style architecture, this golden structure with white marble walls encrusted with precious stones is a sight to behold. Pray and meditate at this holy place, which is also home to the Central Sikh Museum, Langar Hall, Akal Takht and more.

Wagah Border

Deriving its name from the village ‘Wagah’ in Pakistan, this is the place where the Radcliffe line or the demarcation line was drawn during the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947. The border is the only road crossing between both the countries and is located 20 km from Amritsar and 22 km from Lahore in Pakistan respectively. Visit the border for its impressive flag ceremony carried out jointly by the military forces of India and Pakistan. Watch the soldiers dressed in their proud uniforms with huge turbans perform this elaborate parade aided with patriotic songs played during the drill.

Treat your Palate

Amritsari flavours are sure to turn a nibbler to a gourmand with dishes such as ‘Sarson da Saag’, ‘Makai di Roti’, Butter Chicken, ‘Seekh Kebabs’, ‘Chole Bature’, ‘Rajma Chawal’, Amritsari Fish, and a variety of ’Parathas’ and ’Kulchas’. Almost every street in the city has several establishments offering the mouth-watering local cuisine. For some lip-smacking culinary treats we suggest you visit and savour ‘Amritsari Alu-Kulcha’, piping hot ’Kulchas’, ’Pinnis’, a tall chilled glass of ‘Lassi’, ’Kulfis’ at Hall Bazaar, and hot crispy ’Jalebis’.. Food here is sure to appeal to all types of palates and is pocket-friendly as well.

Jallianwala Bagh

The scene of the cruel massacre, Jallianwala Bagh is located near the Golden Temple and sprawls across 6.5 acres. The British army opened fire from the main entrance on General REH Dyer’s orders claiming many innocent and defenceless lives. People trapped within the confines of the garden, which was enclosed with houses and buildings, resulted in a stampede with many jumping in the well and running helter-skelter; the bullet marks are still visible on the walls. Pay homage at the memorial, ‘Flame of Liberty’, which commemorates these innocents as well as the Martyr’s Well. The small museum in the garden depicts the scenes of the merciless massacre.

Akal Takht

The word Akal simply means timeless and Takht means throne in Persian, also translated as Throne of the Immortal or Throne of the Timeless One (God). Marvel at the magnificent building of Akal Takht, which is the principal seat of the Sikh religion and holds the highest position amongst the other five Takhts. The original seat was built by Guru Hargobindji, it symbolised as the place of justice and it is from here that the temporal and spiritual issues of the community were addressed. After the damage done to the Akal Takht by the Indian Army in 1984, today, the modern structure is a five-storey building with a gold-leafed dome and marble inlay.

Guru-Ka-Langar

The free-kitchen community preaches one of the humble Sikh principles of helping the needy and hence the concept of Langar evolved. Today, most Gurudwaras feature a free community kitchen, which is colloquially known as ‘Langar Hall’. The Guru-Ka-Langar is located to the southeast end inside the vast complex of the Golden Temple. A free sumptuous meal is served to everyone, irrespective of caste, creed and economic status. This huge dinning space serves about 60,000 to 80,000 visitors daily. Visitors and worshippers can volunteer by taking up duties of serving food, cleaning dishes or cooking.

Gurudwara Sri Tarn Taran Sahib

This stunning Gurudwara was founded by Guru Arjan Dev in the city of Tarn Tarab Sahib located at about half hour’s distance from Amritsar city. This elaborate complex is adorned with a water pond said to be the largest pond among all other Gurudwaras. The beautiful Gurudwara has an elegant marble exterior and sits on the marble-floored platform with its pinnacle ornate with shiny gold-plated sheets. This pilgrim spot was founded in honour of Guru Ram Dasji and the temple complex has slight resemblance to the Golden Temple.

Amritsar Heritage Walk

Experience the deep-seated history, culture and traditions on a two-hour walking tour, which comprises of a distance of approximately 3 km with the entire route bypassing several narrow lanes and bylanes. Get enlightened about the history of Guru Ram Dasji and the changing phase of the city during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and the British rule. The trail takes you on a journey through a maze of Gallis, Katras, Akharas, Bungas, Havelis, and more. Soak up the old-world charm of this city as you admire the aged buildings adorned with paintings and intricately designed balconies.

Hall Bazaar

Enter Gandhi Gate or the Hall Gate to explore Hall Bazaar, the core and most popular shopping area of Amritsar. Hall Bazaar is full of shops selling local handicrafts, garments, colourful local accessories, electronic items, and more. Must buys at this bustling bazaar are the Chinese Lamps and Pakistani ‘juttis’ (footwear). Get spoilt for choice as you browse through the numerous shops sprawling across the streets at this shopper’s paradise.

Shopping

Shopping in Amritsar is not restricted only to Hall Bazaar; shopaholics can venture out to other places in the city. Shop for the the famous ‘phulkaris’ (traditional embroidery), ‘durries’, Patiala suits, ‘juttis’ (shoes), hand-loomed carpets, quilts, ‘papads’ (disc-shaped crispies) and ‘warians’, (prepared using pulses), pickles, and more. Visit the Katra Jaimal Singh Market or head to the Kapda Market selling Patiala suits, bangles, jewellery and other types of accessories. Shop for lamps, ‘diyas’ (oil lamp) at the Guru Bazar and take back home a variety of good quality dry fruits from the Mishri bazaar. Buy ‘papads’ (and ‘warians’ at Papad-Warian Bazaar.

Durgiana Temple

Visit the Durgiana temple, one of the main Hindu temples located outside the Lohgarh Gate, which exhibits a striking resemblance to the Golden Temple, as its architectural style is the same. It derives its name from Goddess Durga and was originally built in the 16th century. The temple complex is also known as Laxmi Narayan Temple as the complex has a temple dedicated to Goddess Laxmi and Lord Vishnu. The temple beautifully sits in middle of the water body and has other temples such as the Sita Mandir and Bara Hanuman in the complex.

Maharaja Ranjit Singh Museum

Enter the beautiful summer palace of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, which is now converted into a museum spread across an area of 84 acres. Step back in time as you browse through the dioramas describing his battles, historical oil paintings, weapons and several exhibits such as miniatures, coins and others. The museum stands amidst the beguiling garden known as Ram Bagh and is designed on similar lines of Lahore’s Shalimar Bagh. The main beauty of this stunning summer palace lies at the entrance, ‘Darshani Deorhi’, known for its unique design of a multi-level format.

Harike Wetland and Bird Sanctuary

The natural inception of the Harike Wetland took place in 1953 when the headworks were built across the confluence of the Beas and Sutlej rivers. It was announced as a Bird Sanctuary in 1982 and hosts more than 200 bird species during the winters. This important ecological area spreads across the districts of Amritsar, Ferozepur, Kapurthala and Jalandhar and was declared as a Ramsar Site—Wetlands of International Importance. Migratory birds like yellow-eyed pigeons, tufted ducks, godwits, northern pintails and more are sure to catch the fancy of bird lovers. Book a jeep safari from Amritsar and explore this wonderful eco-system on a day trip.

HOTELS

“Nothing speaks like experience.”

A list of hotels we recommend, coming up soon.

RESTAURANTS

“One has not truly experienced a place,

until he has dug into a plate of their food!”

We will soon have a taste of the land and it’s food.
And of course we will serve up a list of the Restaurants you must hit while in Amritsar.

If you have visited the city or in fact live there, do fill us in with your recommendations.